Can anyone enlighten me as to Timlin's contract status? Last night was yet another vivid, painful example where a guy who has come up so big for us so many times looks to have hung on a little too long.

Nearly coughing up a six-run lead in the 9th was absolutely brutal. With the season lost and the team playing out the string, one wonders why Francona doesn't reinsert Hansen (as a guy with a strong future) into a more familiar role as closer, and stick Timlin (a guy with a strong past) back into a middle relief or set-up role?

I cannot imagine a scenario where the Sox would have Timlin back in the 'pen next season, contract or no contract. Then again, who could have foreseen Tavarez emerge as arguably our best starter?

Mikey made us all way uneededly nervous last night. Oh, and Paps?? I hope Paps is back, with sound shoulder, for the closer excitement. NEXT YEAR. The rotation for him?? We'd have to do so well with free agents, and a few (one) names come to mind. And if that happens, and he'd better be darned good, then starter slot number three is reserved, right here right now, for Jonathon. That would be nice, but we all saw last night what life would be like without a "shut 'em down" closer like Paps has been this year. And there is NO reason for him to pitch the rest of the year, just like there is no reason for Manny to play and risk further injury. Wakes? I almost feel the same way, but he has an injury that, when healed, cannot be hurt further. Not so for Manny's knee. And for Hansen to be ready for full time closer duties next year, and I hope he can do it in these few short months, he, like Josh, cannot rely on fastballs. When his timing, his change of speeds, his fooling of opposing batters gets better, he will BE A FORCE. But for the start of season '07, we can only hope.

1) No, no, no, do NOT allow Hansen to close. He is obviously not ready, and the Cla Merideth fiasco shows where this leads. Tito put him in a position where he did badly, lousing up his confidence,slowing his development, and ultimately causing the organization to de-value him so he was sent to SD in that wretched panic trade for a 33 year-old, low average second string catcher. I could easily see the same process wrecking Hansen. 2) The team had the second best record on July 30 because that's how good it was...beter, when you consider that it had only 4/5 of a starting rotation all season to that point. Then Epstein froze, the young players failed their test of fire, and the Mummy's Curse hit. Anyone who thinks that the Aug 1 on team is the real one needs psychiatric help.3)..though perhaps not as much as anyone who says that Julian Taverez is "arguably our best starter." You mean right at this second, with Schilling, Wake and Lester on the shelf, right?? Hell, even that's wrong: I'm ticked at Beckett, but he's obviously a more promising starter; so is Gabbard off of the last two games.

If only we'd traded our "prospects," we might've had a chance. Every single one of them has failed miserably, and here we are. The Yankees trade garbage for a player hitting .344/.436/.503, and we get a journeyman reliever from Texas that we cut less than a week later.